


Aberdeen, 1804

by Lilly_C



Series: Inking It Out [64]
Category: Murdoch Mysteries
Genre: Early in Canon, Forensics, Gen, Historical References, Inspired by a news article
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-27 10:18:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10807101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilly_C/pseuds/Lilly_C
Summary: The earliest use of forensic analysis.





	Aberdeen, 1804

**Author's Note:**

> No real spoilers but definetly set in early season one, up to 1x06 Let Loose The Dogs.
> 
> Inspired by [this article](https://stv.tv/news/north/1386614-shot-fragment-reveals-how-scotland-pioneered-ballistics/) about a murder in my hometown in the early 1800's.
> 
> Any mistakes are my own and unintentional.

_“No matter how many books I read, I never seem to find anything as fascinating as yours.” Dr. Julia Ogden (1x06 Let Loose The Dogs)_

Julia was examining the bullet she had retrieved from their latest victim earlier in the autopsy process, curious to see if their were any markings that could be used for comparisons.

Announcing his arrival, William asked, “What do you have Doctor?”

Placing the bullet into a tray on the instrument table, Julia said, “The bullet, what's left of it, is fragmented.”

“Do you know when the earliest use of forensic science took place?” he questioned.

“Yes. It was Henry Goddard of the Bow Street Runners who was investigating a murder case in London in 1835.”

William couldn’t help but smile at her answer before imparting his own trivia. “There is an earlier example of forensic science been used to solve a murder. It was in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1804.”

“Really? What case?”

“John Fordyce, he was a blacksmith who had been involved in a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife Jean McKenzie over their daughter.”

Julia was intrigued by this relativity unknown piece of history. “What happened to them?”

“According to official records he fired a shotgun to scare off the mob that Jean had organised and one of the bullets hit Jean in the chest, piercing her heart, she died instantly. He was charged with murder although he denied firing the fatal shot.” William paused for a moment before continuing. “Two doctors, George French and James Moir extracted the lead shot from Jean McKenzie’s heart and compared it with unused pellets that were found in his home.”

“Did he hang?”

“No he didn’t.”

“What sentence did he receive?” Julia asked, surprised that such a serious crime could potentially go unpunished.

“The jury decided that he hadn’t intended to kill his wife, instead he was found guilty of Culpable Homicide which is a lesser charge in Scotland. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment and banished from the country for fourteen years.”

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this while I was travelling, so if there is anything glaring, give me a prod and I'll fix it.


End file.
